Post & Pray Is Dead: A Better Way to Hire Salespeople

Hiring a great salesperson shouldn’t feel like gambling.

In this episode of Speaking With Authority, I talk with Jamie Crosbie (Founder & CEO, ProActivate) about why the traditional sales recruiting model is fundamentally misaligned—and how to fix it. We unpack how contingent recruiters get paid on placements, not performance, why many candidates are coached to “ace” interviews, and what a results-tied, flat-fee model looks like when you optimize for ROI instead of résumé volume.

What you’ll learn

• The hidden incentives that break the traditional recruiting model
• How candidate “scripting” leads to bad hires and fake interviews
• Why the best reps are usually working and winning (and how to reach them)
• A rigorous, sales-specific qualification process: skillset, mindset, simulations
• Calculating ROI on a sales hire (and the real cost of a bad one)
• Why proactive, always-on recruiting is revenue insurance
• Early warning metrics (30–90 days) and the formula top reps can articulate

About Jamie

Jamie Crosbie leads ProActivate, a recruiting firm specializing in go-to-market roles (sales, marketing, revenue leadership). Their model focuses on measurable outcomes and deep behavioral interviewing tailored to sales performance.